Norm MacDonald

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SNL

Known for his dry wit and deadpan style, MacDonald is best known for his work on Saturday Night Live from 1993-1998, in which he acted in sketches and served as the host of the "Weekend Update," a humorous take on the news events of the past week. He was unapologetically critical of celebrities such as Michael Jackson[1] and O.J. Simpson,[2][3] and sometimes made the audience uncomfortable even as the drew lots of laughs. In one example, highlighted in a documentary about Saturday Night Live, he won the audience over after a politically incorrect joke:

MacDonald: Please note that the percentages in these pie graphs do not add up to 100% because the math was done by a woman.
(mixed boos and laughs from the audience)
MacDonald: For those of you hissing at that joke, it should be noted that that joke was written by a woman, so now you don't know what the h--- to do, do you?
(laughs from the audience)
MacDonald: Nah, I'm just kidding, we don't hire women.
(even bigger laughs from the audience)

In 1998, NBC exec Don Ohlmeyer removed MacDonald from Weekend Update, which soon led to him leaving NBC.[4]

Career After SNL

Immediately after leaving NBC, MacDonald starred in the movie Dirty Work, which he also co-wrote. He made stand-up appearances on Comedy Central, and appeared as a guest on several other shows, including the Late Show With David Letterman,The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, the Tonight Show With Jay Leno, and both the Tonight Show and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. On a celebrity edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, he won $500,000 for charity. He also created, wrote, and starred in three of his own shows, A Minute With Stan Hooper,The Norm Show, and The Sports Show With Norm MacDonald, the latter of which currently airs on Comedy Central.

Politics

MacDonald, a Canadian, is not active in American politics, but has said that he is pro-life.[5] He frequently made fun of Bill Clinton,[6] and both endorsed and made fun of Bob Dole.